Cell response to collagen-calcium phosphate cement scaffolds investigated for nonviral gene delivery
R A Perez1, M P Ginebra, M Spector
1Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Technical University of Catalonia, UPC, 647 Diagonal Av, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Collagen-hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds for the non-viral delivery of a plasmid encoding the osteoinductive protein bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7 were developed. The collagen-HA was obtained by the combination of calcium phosphate cement in a collagen template. The effect on cell behavior of increasing amounts of HA in the scaffolds was evaluated. Collagen-HA scaffolds containing 13, 23 or 83 wt% HA were prepared. Cell proliferation was reduced in the 83% HA scaffold after 1 day compared to 13 and 23% HA, but by 14 days the number of cells in 83% HA considerably increased. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was 8 times higher for the 83% HA scaffolds. BMP-7 plasmid was incorporated into the 83% HA scaffold. The transfection was low, although significant levels of BMP7 were expressed, associated with an increase in cell proliferation.
